Safety

School Bus Driver Killed by Backing Bus

BRISTOW, Va. — A school bus driver was fatally struck by a bus as it backed up at a transportation facility here on Monday, police said.

The incident occurred on Monday morning at Prince William County Schools’ McCuin Transportation Center in Bristow, about 35 miles southwest of Washington, D.C. Police responded to the scene at 7:31 a.m.

According to a press release from the Prince William County Police Department, a school bus was backing out of a service area when it struck Richard Lee Proffitt, who was standing behind the bus. Proffitt, 62, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators said that no children were on the school bus. The driver who was backing the bus, identified as a 60-year-old man, was not injured.

The Prince William County Police Department said on Monday that no charges have been placed, and the investigation is ongoing.

NBC4 Washington reported that Proffitt’s wife and daughter also work for Prince William County Schools as school bus drivers, but they pick up their buses at a different lot.

Associate Superintendent Phil Kavits told NBC4 Washington, "It is a terrible day, and the individuals here have lost a friend, a colleague, and, really, a member of the family in some ways."

A district spokesman told the news source that it was too early to determine whether any changes should be made to safety procedures at the transportation facility.

The district dispatched a critical incident team to support staff at the facility and students at the schools that Proffitt served. He transported students for an elementary school, a middle school, and a high school.

Prince William County Schools operates a fleet of about 780 route buses, transporting 61,000 students daily.